Is Transgenderism illogical? short answer is "yes"
Metaphysical Foundations and Institutional Dynamics of Gender Identity: An Analysis of Ontological Truth, Collective Preference Falsification, and the Regulatory Response to Ideational Infection.jpg)
.jpg)
The contemporary debate surrounding gender identity is fundamentally a crisis of epistemology and institutional trust. If the propositions of gender ideology are accepted as absolute truths, then the individuals asserting these identities are expressing an essential, albeit non-physical, reality. Conversely, if these propositions are found to be untruthful—representing a departure from biological reality—then the widespread adoption of such frameworks by major social, medical, and legal institutions suggests a systemic failure. This phenomenon, often described as a society "falling" for an ideation, necessitates a rigorous examination of the mechanisms of cultural transmission, the role of preference falsification in institutional capture, and the legal implications of sexual deception. The following analysis evaluates the shift from a biological baseline to an identity-based paradigm, the societal consequences of "ideational infection," and the government’s emerging role in restoring empirical standards through objective longitudinal research and legislative realignment.
The Ontological Schism: Absolute Truth vs. Phenomenological Deception
The central question of whether transgender identity is "true" in an absolute sense or represents a collective delusion requires a comparison of two competing metaphysical models. On one hand, the "Gender Paradigm" posits that gender identity is an internal, subjective sense of self that exists independently of, and often overrides, biological sex.1 On the other, the "Genesis Paradigm" or the biological essentialist view holds that sex is an immutable, binary reality determined by the reproductive architecture of the organism.1
Biological Essentialism and the Baseline of Reality
Biological essentialism identifies sex as a fundamental, immutable property intrinsic to the individual, typically defined by chromosomal makeup ( or ), gametic production (sperm or eggs), and the physiological systems that support reproduction.3 From this perspective, sex is not "assigned" at birth but rather "observed" or "recognized" as a pre-existing biological fact.4 Recent high-level legal determinations have sought to re-establish this essentialist baseline. For instance, the UK Supreme Court ruling in 2025 clarified that under the Equality Act 2010, "sex" refers exclusively to "biological sex," a category that remains unalterable despite medical or social "gender reassignment".5 Similarly, the 2025 Executive Order "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism" in the United States defined sex as an "immutable biological classification" and explicitly rejected "gender identity" as a meaningful replacement for biological categories.2
This essentialist framework argues that if biological sex is the absolute truth, then the assertion that a person "is" the opposite sex is a category error or a "false claim".2 The 2025 Defining Male and Female Act reinforces this by stating that the US government recognizes only two genders, male and female, based on biology, which is framed as recognizing "the perfection of God" and the "laws of nature".7 In this view, transition is seen as a process of "gender reassignment" that may alter appearances or secondary characteristics but leaves the underlying sexual biology unchanged.5
The Gender Paradigm and Subjective Essentialism
The Gender Paradigm, influenced by the work of theorists like Judith Butler, initially sought to decouple socially constructed "gender" (roles, feelings, traits) from biological "sex".1 However, as this ideology moved from academia into the mainstream, it evolved into a new form of "identity essentialism," where the internal "gender identity" is viewed as more real than the sexed body.1 Under this view, if a person feels they are a woman, they "are" a woman in the only sense that matters.4
Critics argue that this paradigm is internally inconsistent because it simultaneously dismisses sex as a useful category while maintaining that a person can be "born in the wrong body," a claim that relies on the very sexual reality it seeks to minimize.2 Furthermore, by defining gender as a "fully internal and subjective sense of self," it provides no meaningful basis for public identification or legal recognition.2 If identity is entirely subjective, then the distinction between "truth" and "lies" becomes impossible to adjudicate, as there is no external metric against which to measure the claim.1
The Mechanics of Institutional Capture: How Society "Fell" for an Ideation
If we assume the essentialist view is correct—that sex is biological and immutable—then the question arises: how did almost every major western institution, from the American Sociological Association to the UK’s National Health Service, come to adopt the gender identity framework? Sociologists and economists point to three primary mechanisms: preference falsification, informational cascades, and the institutionalization of ideology.
Preference Falsification and the Illusion of Consensus
The concept of preference falsification, pioneered by Timur Kuran, explains how individuals misrepresent their private beliefs under perceived public pressure to conform to what they believe is the "mainstream" view.8 This creates a "distorted social decision" where a policy or ideology appears to have broad support even if most individuals privately oppose it.8
Recent data confirms the prevalence of this phenomenon. A 2025 study of students at Northwestern University and the University of Michigan found that an astounding of students had pretended to hold more progressive views than they actually endorsed to avoid social or academic sanctions.10 Specifically, reported self-censoring their beliefs regarding gender identity, and stated they disagreed with the idea that gender identity should override biological sex in sports or healthcare—yet they would never voice this disagreement aloud.10
This "collective amnesia" occurs when public discourse excludes criticism of the "fashionable" option, leading new generations to be exposed only to the "reconstructed knowledge" that their elders feel safe communicating.8 This mechanism explains the "ideational infection" mentioned in the query: once a critical mass of institutions adopts the ideology, it becomes the "moral common sense" required for entry into polite society, and dissenters are pathologized or professionalized out of the field.11
The Institutionalization of "Social Justice" in Sociology
The discipline of sociology offers a case study in how ideology can displace empirical inquiry. Since the late 20th century, sociology has shifted from a pursuit of truth to a "sacred, moralistic vision" focused on political activism and "liberation sociology".11 When an organization adopts a socio-political vision as its program, it substitutes officially approved assumptions for individual reasoning.11
This institutionalization leads to "confirmation bias," where research that supports the ideological goal (e.g., gender affirmation) is promoted, while research showing negative or mixed consequences is suppressed.11 A historical parallel is found in the 1976 controversy surrounding researcher James S. Coleman, who was targeted for expulsion from the American Sociological Association after publishing data that suggested forced school desegregation was exacerbating "white flight".11 In the context of gender, this has manifested as the professional "blacklisting" of researchers who propose the "social contagion" or "Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria" (ROGD) hypothesis.12
Historical Parallels: Lysenkoism and Eugenics
The "fall" for gender ideology has been compared by some scholars to historical episodes where pseudo-scientific or ideologically driven programs were institutionalized.13 Eugenics, for example, was not based on a complete lack of science but rather on a "faulty scientific consensus" where advocates teamed with "experts" to dismiss valid criticism for the "common good".13 Similarly, Lysenkoism in the Soviet Union saw the institutionalization of an unscientific biological theory because it aligned with the state's ideological goals. In both cases, the "expert" had outsized influence, emitting an "aura of science" while acting beyond the bounds of the scientific method.13
Adolescent Gender Identity: Social Contagion or Authenticity?
The core of the "ideational infection" argument lies in the unprecedented rise in adolescents identifying as transgender, a cohort characterized by natal females with no childhood history of gender distress.12 This has led to the hypothesis of Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD).
The ROGD Hypothesis and "Digital Influence"
The ROGD hypothesis suggests that some adolescents identify as transgender due to peer influence and "social contagion," facilitated by immersion in social media and affirmative online narratives.17 Research indicates that of children in the ROGD cohort had increased their internet use and/or had trans friends prior to their own identification.18 Clinicians have observed a "clustering phenomenon" where friend groups collectively identify as trans, often coinciding with the onset of puberty or the isolation of the COVID-19 lockdowns.17
Furthermore, many of these adolescents present with "pre-existing psychopathology," including anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, and autism spectrum disorders.17 In Lisa Littman’s foundational 2018 study, of parents reported their child had at least one psychiatric diagnosis prior to the onset of gender dysphoria.17 The concern is that for this subgroup, transgender identity serves as a "maladaptive coping mechanism" for underlying distress rather than an expression of an innate gender essence.17
The Cass Review and the Evidence Crisis
The 2024 Cass Review in the UK represents a major turning point in the "mainstream approach" to transgenderism. The review concluded that the evidence base for early puberty suppression and hormone therapy in minors is "weak".16 It found that the NHS’s provision of gender-affirming medical treatment (GAMT) was based on "speculative benefits" while "speculative harms" were minimized.19
Crucially, the Cass Review noted that social transition (changing names, pronouns, and appearance) should be viewed as an "active intervention" rather than a neutral act of support.16 The review suggested that early social transition might "change the trajectory" of gender identity development, essentially locking a child into a transgender identity that might have otherwise resolved.16 This supports the user’s suggested "educational approach": helping children "come to terms with their bodies" and understanding that "feelings don't make gender" (e.g., feminine feelings in a male do not make him a female).16
Free Speech, Freedom of Thought, and "Compelled Speech"
The institutionalization of gender ideology has direct consequences for free speech and freedom of thought, as it often requires the public affirmation of identity-based claims that conflict with observable reality.
Pronoun Laws and Parental Notification
As of 2025, several US states have enacted laws that either restrict the use of "preferred pronouns" in schools or require parental notification when a student requests a change in pronouns.21 Ten states have laws restricting or prohibiting the use of "gender-affirming pronouns" in public facilities, affecting an estimated transgender youth.21 Proponents of these laws argue that forcing teachers and students to use pronouns that contradict a person’s biological sex is "compelled speech"—a violation of the First Amendment that requires individuals to speak a "falsehood" in the name of inclusivity.21
The "Conversion Therapy" Debate
The 2025 US Supreme Court case Chiles v. Salazar highlights the tension between professional speech and state regulation.23 Twenty-three states have adopted bans on "conversion therapy," defining it as any treatment that attempts to change an individual's "gender identity".23 However, critics argue that these bans prevent "exploratory therapy"—the educational approach of interrogating the underlying reasons for gender distress—and essentially mandate "affirmation-only" care.20 The state’s interest in protecting minors from "harmful" practices is balanced against the First Amendment rights of medical professionals to provide treatments based on standard of care and "biological truth".23
Liability in Action: Sexual Deception and the Suspicion of Predation
The user’s suspicion that "some people lie about being the opposite sex to get laid" touches upon the legal and ethical domain of "gender identity fraud" and the nature of sexual consent.
Gender Identity Fraud and Consent Theory
In the UK, the concept of "gender fraud" has led to prosecutions of young transgender or gender non-conforming people for failing to disclose their biological sex to sexual partners.25 The central legal argument is that an "operative deception" as to biological sex is sufficiently proximate to the sexual nature of the activity that it "vitiates consent".27 For instance, if a lesbian agrees to have sex with a partner she believes is a female, but who is actually a biological male identifying as a woman, the law may view this as a violation of the victim's sexual integrity.27
Legal scholars like Alex Sharpe argue that these prosecutions "reinforce cisnormativity" and that trans people should not have a "moral obligation" to self-disclose.26 However, consent theorists point out a "dilemma of sexual agency": if we say consent is "valid" even when based on fundamental deception about a partner's sex, we are "demoting" the agency of the person who was lied to, suggesting their boundaries (based on sexual orientation) are not valid.29
Predatory Behavior and "Self-ID" Safeguards
The 2025 US Executive Order and various UK rulings emphasize that "erasing sex in language and policy" has a corrosive impact on the safety of women and girls.2 The concern is that "Self-ID" (allowing men to self-identify as women without a medical diagnosis) acts as a "predators' charter".30 High-profile cases, such as butcher Andrew Miller using a female persona ("Amy George") to kidnap and assault an 11-year-old girl, are cited as evidence that predatory men do use gender identity as a cloak for abusive behavior.30
While trans activists argue that trans women do not pose a higher risk than non-trans women, the debate often focuses on the "vulnerability" of women-only spaces.31 The 2018 Cambridge University Press paper noted that a small group of trans-identified people viewed "gender reassignment" as a means to increase their intimate contact with children.30 Therefore, the state’s duty to ensure "biological truth" in prisons and shelters is framed as a necessary safeguard against "liability in action" by motivated offenders.2
The Path Forward: How Government Can Research This Better
To move beyond the "ideational infection" and determine if society has indeed "fallen" for a false ideology, a shift toward objective, longitudinal research is required. The 2025 federal actions in the United States provide a roadmap for this transition.
Restoring Empirical Standards in Research Funding
A significant hurdle to objective research has been the federal funding of "gender ideology" through grants that presuppose the validity of gender-affirming care.2 In 2025, the US government took steps to "end the federal funding of gender ideology," instead redirecting resources toward research that evaluates the safety and efficacy of "sex-rejecting procedures".2
Proposed improvements for government research include:
Objective SOGI Data Collection: Standardizing the collection of "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" (SOGI) data to include "sex assigned at birth" and "biological sex" as primary variables, rather than subjective "gender identity".2
Longitudinal Outcomes Tracking: Establishing national databases to track detransition rates, the long-term effects of puberty blockers (such as on bone density and cognitive development), and the persistence of co-occurring mental health disorders.16
Third-Party Evidence Review: Utilizing the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) method to evaluate medical research.34 The Cass Review utilized this method to identify that most studies supporting youth gender transition were of "low quality" or "weak".16
Decoupling Policy from Activism: Ensuring that federal agencies like the CDC and NIH are insulated from "social justice" institutionalization, allowing for "discursive diversity" and the testing of alternative hypotheses (like ROGD) without professional retaliation.11
Regulatory Realignment: Medicaid and CHIP
The 2025 proposed rules by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) would prohibit federal funding for "sex-rejecting procedures" (puberty blockers, hormones, surgery) for minors.32 This regulation is based on an HHS review which concluded these procedures fail to meet "professionally recognized standards of healthcare".36 By shifting Medicaid dollars toward "psychotherapy as the first-line treatment," the government is implementing the "educational approach" as a matter of public policy.32
Conclusion: Societal Implications of the "Truth" vs. "Fall" Binary
If transgender ideology is "true" in an absolute sense, then the 2025 regulatory shift represents an "invidious discrimination" against a vulnerable class.24 However, the evidence from the Cass Review and the prevalence of "preference falsification" suggest that society may indeed have "fallen" for an ideation that lacks a robust empirical foundation.10
A society that "falls" for such an ideation reveals several structural weaknesses:
Fragility of Institutional Epistemology: Major institutions were captured not by new evidence, but by a "social justice" framework that prioritized "identity truth" over "biological truth".2
The Power of Social Coercion: The fact that of students and many professionals feel the need to falsify their preferences suggests that freedom of thought is being stifled by "socially coercive means".2
Liability in Intent and Action: If "feelings make gender," then intent becomes a moving target, and liability for actions—from sexual deception to the provision of medical treatments—becomes impossible to regulate fairly.27
The current "correction" observed in 2025—through Supreme Court rulings, executive orders, and the termination of ideologically driven research—indicates a reassertion of the "Genesis Paradigm".1 For the government and the scientific community, the challenge remains to navigate this phenomenon with "common sense" and "biological accuracy," ensuring that the pursuit of personal happiness does not come at the expense of societal truth and the safety of the sexed body.2 In doing so, the state must protect the "freedom of conscience" for all while grounding its laws in the "immutable reality of sex".2
Works cited
Philosophical Foundations of a Transgender Worldview: Nominalism, Utilitarianism, and Pragmatism - The Gospel Coalition, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/philosophical-foundations-of-a-transgender-worldview-nominalism-utilitarianism-and-pragmatism/
Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government - The White House, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/
The Metaphysics Of Gender Identity: Between Essentialism And Social Constructivism - Gudang Jurnal, accessed February 12, 2026, https://gudangjurnal.com/index.php/gjmi/article/download/1689/1600
Are You Serious? The Absurdity of Policies Defining Two Sexes … Banning One and Erasing Others! - PMC, accessed February 12, 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12184975/
The Supreme Court Ruling: A Response from the Centre for the Study of Sexuality and Culture - the University of Manchester WordPress Websites & Blogs, accessed February 12, 2026, https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/humanities-blog/2025/05/13/the-supreme-court-ruling-a-response-from-the-centre-for-the-study-of-sexuality-and-culture/
Gender identity | Definition, Theories, & Facts | Britannica, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/gender-identity
New Bill Would Define Male and Female Based on Biology and the 'Perfection of God', accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/new-bill-would-define-male-and-female-based-biology-and-perfection-god
Preference falsification - Wikipedia, accessed February 12, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preference_falsification
Preference Falsification And Cascade – OpEd - Eurasia Review, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.eurasiareview.com/19122024-preference-falsification-and-cascade-oped/
The Prevalence of Preference Falsification - Econlib, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.econlib.org/the-prevalence-of-preference-falsification/
The Institutionalization of Ideology in Sociology - HxA, accessed February 12, 2026, https://heterodoxacademy.org/blog/the-institutionalization-of-ideology-in-sociology/
Evidence Backs the Transgender Social-Contagion Hypothesis - Manhattan Institute, accessed February 12, 2026, https://manhattan.institute/article/evidence-backs-the-transgender-social-contagion-hypothesis
Simple Liars, Damned Liars, Davenport the Expert, and Scientific Critics of Eugenics - Harvard DASH, accessed February 12, 2026, https://dash.harvard.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/be13f56c-9ef8-426b-8437-5188dfe58407/content
In the shadow of genetics: - Disability Studies @ Leeds, accessed February 12, 2026, https://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/library/armer-Bill.pdf
Full article: Reproductive Injustice and Genetic Counseling in the Socialist Politics of Disability - Taylor & Francis, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10758216.2024.2382754
Cass Review - Wikipedia, accessed February 12, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Review
Gender dysphoria in adolescence: examining the rapid-onset ..., accessed February 12, 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11876199/
Rapid-onset gender dysphoria controversy - Wikipedia, accessed February 12, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid-onset_gender_dysphoria_controversy
Cass Review does not guide care for trans young people - PMC, accessed February 12, 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12502890/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Report on Pediatric Gender Dysphoria and Gender Conversion Efforts | KFF, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.kff.org/lgbtq/u-s-department-of-health-and-human-services-report-on-pediatric-gender-dysphoria-and-gender-conversion-efforts/
The Impact of 2025 Anti-Transgender Legislation on Youth - Williams Institute - UCLA, accessed February 12, 2026, https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/anti-trans-legislation-youth/
The First Amendment in Flux | ACS - American Constitution Society, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.acslaw.org/analysis/acs-program-guides/the-first-amendment-in-flux/
The Harms of Speech - Verfassungsblog, accessed February 12, 2026, https://verfassungsblog.de/the-harms-of-speech/
23-477 United States v. Skrmetti (06/18/2025) - Supreme Court, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-477_2cp3.pdf
Sexual intimacy and gender identity 'fraud': Reframing the legal and ethical debate, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326841168_Sexual_intimacy_and_gender_identity_'fraud'_Reframing_the_legal_and_ethical_debate
Review of Alex Sharpe's Sexual Intimacy and Gender Identity 'Fraud ..., accessed February 12, 2026, https://d-nb.info/1213235510/34
Sex By Deception - SSRN, accessed February 12, 2026, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/5333213.pdf?abstractid=5333213&mirid=1
Not What I Agreed To: Content and Consent* | Ethics: Vol 132, No 1, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/715283
Sexual Agency and Sexual Wrongs: A Dilemma for Consent Theory - Michigan Publishing, accessed February 12, 2026, https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/phimp/article/id/2530/
Gender self-ID is a predators' charter - Spiked, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/05/22/gender-self-id-is-a-predators-charter/
trans women experience the same issues within patriarchal society as other women, such as being paid less than men for equal work, harassment in multiple settings, gender-based prejudice and discrimination (such as being dism - UK Parliament Committees, accessed February 12, 2026, https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/13335/html/
Medicaid Program; Prohibition on Federal Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program Funding for Sex-Rejecting Procedures Furnished to Children - Federal Register, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/19/2025-23464/medicaid-program-prohibition-on-federal-medicaid-and-childrens-health-insurance-program-funding-for
Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: A Promising Practice for Improving Population Health and Advancing Health Equity - PMC, accessed February 12, 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11683839/
The Cass Review and Gender-Related Care for Young People in Canada: A Commentary on the Canadian Paediatric Society Position Statement on Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth - PMC, accessed February 12, 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12753552/
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Part 482 [CMS-3481-P] RIN 0938-AV - Federal Register, accessed February 12, 2026, https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23465.pdf
Federal government continues efforts to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.mwe.com/insights/federal-government-continues-efforts-to-prohibit-gender-affirming-care-for-minors/
New Trump Administration Proposals Would Further Limit Gender Affirming Care for Young People by Restricting Providers and Reducing Coverage | KFF, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.kff.org/lgbtq/new-trump-administration-proposals-would-further-limit-gender-affirming-care-for-young-people-by-restricting-providers-and-reducing-coverage/
Social Action Explanation and Intentions in Sociology and Social Sciences - Scientific Research Publishing, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=127272
Combating Gender Ideology in Foreign Assistance - Federal Register, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/27/2026-01516/combating-gender-ideology-in-foreign-assistance
Comments
Post a Comment